Drag Me Down
by ThisCatalyst'sPen
Summary: They thought they had defeated him. They thought they had gotten rid of him. They thought they were finally at peace. But you can't outrun the devil, no matter how fast you go...Diego has finally gotten what he's always wanted- a body. So how are Leo, Don and Mikey supposed to kill Diego now, when he is possessing their brother?
1. Chapter 1

**Summary: **They thought they had defeated him. They thought they had gotten rid of him. They thought they were finally at peace. But you can't outrun the devil, no matter how fast you go...Diego has finally gotten what he's always wanted- a body. So how are Leo, Don and Mikey supposed to kill Diego now, when he is possessing their brother?

**Disclaimer: **I do not own TMNT. Only my oc.

**Author's notes: **Here it is; the final instalment! The fate of the turtles will be decided here. Will the ending be good, or will it be bad? Will Diego be sent back to Hell, or will he remain with the turtles? All these questions and more will be answered.

Before we start our last roller coaster ride, I would like to thank everyone who has read, reviewed, and followed this series. Your encouragement means a lot to me and fuels me on to write the next chapter as quickly as possible! I do hope you all like this last story- it certainly has been an adventure to write! If you have any thoughts/questions review or PM me, and I will be happy to answer (unless it's wanting to know a spoiler, then you will have to wait!)

So, make yourselves comfortable, maybe have a warm beverage beside you or something cute and fluffy to cuddle while you read.

And, oh yeah, you may also want to leave the lights on...

* * *

**Drag Me Down**

* * *

_It is better to conquer yourself than to win a thousand battles. Then the victory is yours. It cannot be taken from you, not by angels or by demons, heaven or hell.__  
__**Buddha**_

* * *

**Chapter One**

Donatello

* * *

**Donatello** sighed and pushed himself away from his computer.

For the past two weeks he had been staring non-stop at his computer screen. He hadn't gotten much sleep either, taping away at his keyboard late into the night, the glow from his computer the only light illuminating his otherwise dark room. He had searched through hundreds and hundreds of pages about demons, and Hell and demonic possession. He made notes on anything he thought was useful, going through five complete notepads in the course of the two weeks.

Don leaned back in his chair and rubbed his tired eyes. He had found nothing that was in the least bit helpful, and now that the effects of his sixth cup of coffee were starting to wear off, Donnie was just about to give up.

He shook his head and mentally berated himself for the thought. He couldn't give up, no matter how hard and frustrating it was. Raphael was still alive, trapped somewhere within his own body, or worse, trapped in Hell. Don had to figure out a way to save his brother, even if he had to scroll through every page on demonic lore ever created and posted on the World Wide Web.

No matter how hard he had searched, Don couldn't find his old book on fabled lore. He remembered reading something about demons in it a long time ago, and had practically torn his room apart in search for it, but couldn't find the ancient tome of a book anywhere.

Rubbing his aching temples, Donnie thought back to the night where their lives changed in an instant.

* * *

_Finding the roll of gauze in his medicine bag, Donnie held the white bandage up in triumph, turning around to face his wounded brother to wrap up his bloodied leg. The gauze fell out of his hand when he saw a pair of black, emotionless eyes staring back at him. _

_With a startled gasp, Don fell backwards, scattering his bag of medical supplies across the floor of the van._

"_Donnie, what's the matter?" Leo asked, turning around to see what was going on._

_At that same moment, Raphael lunged at his brothers, sai poised and ready for the kill. If it hadn't been for Leo's ninja-honed reflexes, he would have been dead. Grunting from the force of the impact, Leo just managed to deflect the sharp glittering tip of the sai with his katanna. One of the other prongs grazed his arm, causing scarlet drops to fall down his arm._

_Raphael leapt to his feet, seemingly uninjured despite the gaping wound in his thigh. With a hiss he leapt back at his brothers with inhuman speed. Leo deflected the deadly weapon once more, straining under his brother's strength._

"_Raph, what are you doing?" Mikey cried in fear and surprise, whipping out his nun-chucks and twirling them uncertainly._

_Raphael turned around slowly to face Michelangelo, a sinister smile curling his lips as sadistic mirth gleamed in his obsidian eyes. "Sorry, Raphie isn't here at the moment. Want me to leave him a message?"_

"_Diego!" Don cried with understanding, his brown eyes wide with disbelief. "But...but how?"_

"_I told you I needed a body, now I have one," Diego smiled with a foreign face._

"_Guys, what the hell is happening back there?" Casey yelled, trying to keep the van on the road and under control. _

_Diego's eyes flashed with something sinister. "Ok brothers, let's play..."_

* * *

Don shook his head, trying to dispel the unwanted memory. They had managed to knock Diego to the ground and tied up his hands and feet. Casey nearly crashed the van, and Mikey nearly lost an eye from the struggle.

Their worst fears had come true. Diego was possessing Raphael.

Slowly, Don reluctantly got to his feet, stretching his tired and cramped muscles. He needed to go and check on Raphael.

When they had brought him back to the lair, they had put him in the dojo and locked the door. A few hours later, Diego broke free and tried to kill them again. Now Diego was strapped down on one of Don's old medical gurneys in the middle of the living room. This way he was in plain sight all of the time, and they could all take turns keeping a watch on him.

Diego may be possessing Raphael's body, but it was still their brother strapped to a gurney, so they had tried to make him as comfortable as possible. The straps were tight, but not tight enough to cut off circulation or dig into sensitive flesh. Don had also placed a pillow under Raphael's head.

It made Don sick to his stomach every time he came to check on Raph, and seeing him bound to his own gurney. But it was the only way to keep him contained, at least until they figured out a way to get rid of Diego once and for all.

"Hey bro," Diego said when he saw Don appear. "Mind undoing these straps a little? They're awful tight."

""I'm not falling for your tricks again, Diego," Don said, trying to stifle the shiver that ran down his spine. "The straps are fine."

"So, found anything to get rid of me yet?" Diego asked with a smirk, his bottomless black eyes staring back at Don from his brother's face.

"Shut up," Don growled, setting his medical supply down on the trolley next to the gurney.

Raphael's wounds were still visible from the attack at the farmhouse. Don had stitched his leg wound up when they had strapped Diego to the gurney. It had been a long and arduous process and Don still didn't know if his muscles, tendons and nerves had been damaged. Diego had been able to walk on Raphael's injured leg, but he was a demon after all. Donatello doubted he even felt any pain that was inflicted upon Raphael. If Diego wasn't possessing Raphael, Don believed that Raphael would have died from the injury.

He had given him a blood transfusion, though he didn't know if that had helped at all. He didn't even know where Raphael was. His body was here, but...Don didn't know if Raphael's spirit was gone or if he were trapped inside his own body, or worse, was trapped in Hell.

He didn't like to think about it.

Don gently unrolled the bandages around his brother's thigh to inspect the wound. It was healing rather nicely, though Don knew it would leave an ugly scar. There were no signs of infection, and the skin had healed nicely. He should be able to remove the stitches in another day or two.

"What's it like, seeing your brother like this?" Diego asked with a smirk. "Does it make you sad? Does it make you wish that you tried that little bit harder to stop me?"

"Shut up," Don growled, feeling anger start to boil in his blood, like a volcano getting ready to erupt.

"Does it hurt to know that this is all your fault? Raphie's gone now, and there's nothing you can do about it."

"I said shut up!" Don yelled, leaping to his feet, his hands balled at his sides, shaking with anger.

"Looks like you could use some sleep, Donnie," Diego said, mock concern clouding his face. "You look awful tired."

Don pushed back the rage he felt build up inside of him. Diego was just trying to goad him. He wanted to make Don mad; he wanted to see what he would do. It was his sick amusement.

Packing up his medical things, Don quickly left the room, keeping his eyes trained on the ground.

"Oh, and Donnie," Diego spoke up, making Don pause in the doorway.

'What?"

Diego smiled. "Raph says hi, by the way."

* * *

**Author's notes 2: **Poor Donnie, having to go through that. I would love to hear what you dear readers have thought of the first chapter. Your reviews and comments would be greatly appreciated :)

More to come soon,

~Cat_  
_


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary: **They thought they had defeated him. They thought they had gotten rid of him. They thought they were finally at peace. But you can't outrun the devil, no matter how fast you go...Diego has finally gotten what he's always wanted- a body. So how are Leo, Don and Mikey supposed to kill Diego now, when he is possessing their brother?

**Disclaimer: **I do not own TMNT. Only my oc.

**Author's notes: **Thanks for all the positive feedback on the first chapter guys! I was not expecting to get so many! Your encouragement is inspiring, and I hope that you enjoy this chapter as much as the first :)

* * *

**Drag Me Down**

* * *

_Hell is empty and all the devils are here._

**William Shakespeare**

* * *

**Chapter Two**

Leonardo

* * *

**Leonardo **couldn't focus. He had sought out the silent and empty dojo hoping to clear his head through meditation. He had gone about his usual routine of lighting candles and incense, hoping that the sweet scent would soothe his jumbled thoughts. Taking his usual position in the centre of the room, Leo closed his eyes and slowed his breathing. Usually he was able to fall into a meditative trance quite quickly, but tonight Leo found it impossible.

After his fifth attempt of trying to clear his mind, Leo opened his eyes with an annoyed sigh. His nerves were too riled up to be calmed. He had too many thoughts racing around his head to possibly try and sort through them. He had been hoping to find an answer to help his brother, but so far he didn't have a clue.

He hated seeing his brother like this- not in control of his own body. Guilt flooded through him every time he thought of Raphael lying strapped down to that cold metal table, but there weren't any other options available. He just prayed that Donnie would find an answer soon.

Getting to his feet, Leo tried to stretch out all of his restless agitation. Blowing out all the sputtering flames of the candles but one, Leo left the dojo in disappointment. He briefly considered asking Master Splinter to meditate with him, in the hopes that their combined discipline would help him find relaxation. However he discarded the idea quickly. Master Splinter had been meditating in his room for the past three days, trying to find his own answers to help Raphael. Leo didn't want to disturb him with his restlessness.

Instead, he walked out into the living room, bumping into Don.

"Oh, sorry Leo, didn't see you there," Don apologised, his eyes drooping with exhaustion.

"It's alright," Leo assured him, taking in his brother's exhausted state. "You look dead on your feet. When was the last time you got some sleep?"

"Don't know, maybe two days ago," Don shrugged, trying to brush off his brother's obvious concern. "As long as there is coffee in the kitchen, I'll be fine."

"You need to rest, Donnie," Leo said gently. "Your mind and your body."

"I can't," Don said. "Even if I wanted to. I can't sleep for more than thirty minutes without having a nightmare. Besides, Raphael needs me. The longer Diego is inside him, the worse off Raphael could be."

"How is Raph?" Leo asked curiously.

"The same as when we brought him in," Don replied with a frustrated sigh. "His leg wound is healing, so that's a start. Though I won't know if there is any muscle or tendon damage until Raphael is himself again."

"Have you found anything, anything at all?" Leo asked, clinging on to a shred of false hope.

"No," Don sighed in defeat. "Everything I've found is useless. I just wish I could find that old book I had. I remember seeing something in there about demons, but I can't remember what. I've searched everywhere for it, but it's like it's just vanished into thin air."

"Have you tried reaching Raphael?" Leo asked.

"A few times, but with no success. Have you?"

"I've tried, but I can't focus enough to reach the spiritual plane," Leo sighed in frustration. "Where do you think Raphael is anyway?"

"I'm not sure," Don admitted. "He could be anywhere. He could be dead, only his body is left behind. What I'm thinking is that he's trapped in his own body-lost within himself. He may be able to see and hear everything that's happening, but he has no control any more. He's trapped within his own mind with Diego."

"That's horrible," Leo whispered.

"It's better than the alternative," Don said grimly.

"Which is?" Leo asked, feeling dread settle in his gut.

"He could be somewhere worse than trapped within his own mind. He could be trapped in Hell."

* * *

**Michelangelo **woke with a strangled gasp. His bed sheets clung to his body, adhered by his sweat. His heart beat wildly in his chest, his baby blue eyes frantically searching his dark room for the source of his panic. Then reality came crashing down with a harsh weight. He had been dreaming.

Demons and dark shadowy figures had been assaulting his nightmares for almost two weeks now. It seemed that every time he laid his head on his soft pillow and closed his eyes to sleep, Diego's grotesque face was staring back at him. The worst nightmares were the ones where Diego was in his brother's body- bottomless black eyes grinning back at him from his brother's face. Those nightmares Michelangelo often woke up screaming in a cold sweat.

Knowing he wouldn't be able to sleep again, Mikey pushed his bed covers aside and got to his feet. Peeking his head around the door, Mikey surveyed the dark lair. A faint light shone under Don's door, meaning that the genius was still awake. It was quite apart from the faint, familiar buzz of Don's many computers.

Mikey silently made his way to the dojo, trying to ignore the shiver that ran down his spine when he walked past the living room. A single candle lit the dojo in faint, warm light. Mikey surveyed the room, noticing the single meditation mat left in the middle of the room. Leo must have been in here meditating. Mikey had tried to meditate to try and calm his racing thoughts, but he had never been good at keeping still and focused, especially now. He hoped that Raphael's method of exercising would help to cure his insomnia. However, staring at the worn leather bag, a wave of exhaustion flooded through Mikey. Sighing in defeat, he slumped against the bag, staring at the single flickering flame of the candle that lit the room.

* * *

_Michelangelo stared down at his brother, blinking in shock. Donnie and Leo had managed to knock Raphael down to the ground, where they were now holding his flaying limbs. _

"_Mikey, get something to tie him up!" Leo yelled his hazel eyes wide with fear and utter shock._

_Mikey nodded mutely and began rustling through his bag of supplies while Donnie frantically yelled out to Casey, Master Splinter and April, trying to tell them what had happened._

_Finding a length of rope, Mikey handed it to his brother, still staring at Raphael in shocked disbelief. A pair of dark, bottomless black eyes stared back._

_And that's when Mikey knew that Raphael was gone._

* * *

Mikey shook his head violently, trying to dispel the memories that plagued his nightmares. He looked out the dojo door, his heart feeling heavy in his chest. His brother was in the other room, tied down to a cold metal table and trapped inside his own body.

"I'm so sorry, Raphie," Mikey whispered, clutching the punching bag as tears leaked down his cheeks. "I'm so sorry."

Because Mikey knew, deep down in his heart, that his brother was suffering a fate worse than death.

* * *

**Author's notes 2: **Reviews and comments are always greatly appreciated; I love knowing what you dear readers think :) Next chapter we will find out what poor Raphie is up to...


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary:**They thought they had defeated him. They thought they had gotten rid of him. They thought they were finally at peace. But you can't outrun the devil, no matter how fast you go...Diego has finally gotten what he's always wanted- a body. So how are Leo, Don and Mikey supposed to kill Diego now, when he is possessing their brother?

**Disclaimer:**I do not own TMNT. Only my oc.

**Author's notes:**I am so glad you are all enjoying this fic! I hope you all enjoy this chapter, now that we get to Raphael ;) Warnings for swearing.

* * *

**Drag Me Down**

* * *

_The mind is its own place and in itself, can make a Heaven of Hell, a Hell of Heaven._

**John Milton**

* * *

**Chapter Three**

Raphael

* * *

_**Raphael's **__throat was hoarse from screaming. He screamed through the night and shouted through the day, but no matter how loudly he screamed, no one could hear him; no one, except for Diego._

"_Help! Leo, Donnie, Mikey, help me!" Raphael cried out, trapped in the oblivion of his own body. He could see everything his eyes could see, hear everything his ears could hear, and feel everything his body felt, but he had no control over it. He couldn't blink his eyes, or move his tongue, or raise his bound arms, or even twitch his fingers. He was under the complete and utter mercy of Diego._

"_Haven't you learnt anything yet?" Diego's snide voice whispered next to him. Diego was able to control Raphael's body like it was his own, but his soul festered inside of him, right next to Raphael's. _

"_They can't hear you, I am in control now."_

"_You fucking bastard, get out of my body!" Raphael screamed in anger, wanting to lash out at Diego's cold words, but he couldn't. He was just a presence, floating and drifting inside his body. He had no form or shape. He was just a presence, nothing more._

"_And why would I do that?" Diego asked. "I like it here, its cosy. Besides, I need a body to suit my purposes."_

"_Why me?" Raphael demanded. "Out of every person in this world, why did you choose me?" The thought had been plaguing Raphael for a while now, and he was determined to get his answers._

"_It's a complicated matter that I am sure you will not understand," Diego said with a sigh that sounded like he was quite bored. _

"_Try me," Raphael growled._

"_Well, if you insist. It's not like we have anything more fun to do...at the moment anyway," Diego complied. "The reason why I chose your body, Raphael, is because you are special. Do you feel privileged and honoured?"_

"_No, now tell me the fucking truth!" Raphael yelled in anger. He was sick of Diego's quips._

"_Oh, very well," Diego sighed. "As a demon, I have certain...requirements. It is very rarely that the gate to Hell is open- something about the stars being aligned and a blood moon or something like that. The point is the gate to Hell is only open once a year, during the longest night of the year- the Winter Solstice. Anyway, it is a big competition to get out, and only the strongest and most cunning demons can do it. Luckily for me, I was one of those cunning demons."_

"_Congratulations for you, your mother must be so proud," Raphael said sarcastically. _

"_My mother died ages ago, she was a weak and pathetic demon, it was my father who was the powerful one. But that doesn't matter; my family tree is of no importance to you. Anyway, once a demon is in the mortal world, it needs certain...requirements to survive. We can't just walk out of Hell willy-nilly and posses the first person we see. Escaping from Hell is quite tiresome and drains all your energy. We need darkness, and cold and invisibility while we regain our strength. The underground sewers of New York City fills all of those requirements."_

"_So you feel more at home in the sewers, good for you," Raphael spit. "But that doesn't answer why you chose me."_

"_You are an impatient one, aren't you," Diego mused with a smile. "As I was saying, we need darkness, and cold and invisibility. Once we have regained some of our strength, we need to feed, and we feed on human emotions. The stronger and darker these emotions, the stronger we become. I was rather surprised to find four humanoid turtles and a giant rat in the sewers, I admit, but intrigued as well. I kept my distance and observed your queer little family for quite some time. It didn't take long for me to work out which one of you was the black sheep of the family. _

_So you became my target. Your emotions were wild and uncontrolled, and became more so when I started to torment you. As your emotions became more powerful, so did I."_

"_But you possessed Master Splinter before," Raphael pointed out. "And I thought we killed you with the salt."_

"_A grievous error," Diego mused. When I possessed your dear old father, I did it for my own manipulative purposes. He had a strong mind, but he dropped his guard that night. I was able to slip into his body, but I knew it wouldn't be for long. I knew that when you and your brothers returned, you would be quite upset to see your dear old daddy possessed by the big, bad demon. I knew you would get angry, really angry, and I knew once I fed off this wild emotion of yours, I would be strong enough to take your body, for good."_

"_Then what happened?" Raphael asked. "Why didn't you?"_

"_I did not expect salt to be shoved down my throat," Diego replied. "It is true that salt weakens us demons, but it does not kill us. It drained my energy, forcing me to leave your father's body and retreat. But I bid my time, waited until I was strong again, feeding off your nightmares. Then I followed you to that pretty little farmhouse your human friend owns. It's quite quaint."_

"_So now what, genius, you got your body, but a body isn't much use strapped down to a table is it?" Raphael asked sarcastically. _

"_A demon knows patience, which obviously you do not," Diego replied._

"_So what's your master plan?" Raphael demanded. "Break free and terrorise New York? Or maybe you plan on unleashing Hell onto our world, is that it?"_

"_No, no, no," Diego laughed. "I am not that ambitious, nor sadly that powerful, yet. Hell is a terrible place, Raphael; I just wish to escape it."_

"_Somehow I don't believe you," Raphael snorted._

"_Well, if you really want to know, I do plan on escaping eventually, yes. Meeting up with some fellow demons in their own bodies and have some fun. It's quite delightful actually, you people think that your race is so flawed and so sinful; killing people, making wars, your endless greed. But the fact is, most humans are good at heart. It's when they get possessed by us that they start to kill and steal. It's all fun and games to us, and the more people that we kill, the stronger we become. And whispering in people's ears is always a bonus- it's almost like we put them under a spell. Then we just sit back and watch them do something...malicious."_

"_You...you're a monster," Raphael whispered. "I won't let you get anywhere near the surface!"_

"_You can try," Diego mocked. "But you will not succeed. In case you have forgotten, I am the one controlling this body now; you are just along for the ride. And you want to know something else?"_

"_What?" Raphael spit, already fearing the answer._

"_The first ones I will kill will be your brothers, with your own hands, how does that sound, Raphie?"_

_Over the sound of Diego's malicious laughter, Raphael shook with anger and fear, crying out to his brothers in warning._

_But they did not hear him. _

* * *

**Author's Notes 2: **Feedback is greatly appreciated; I love hearing what you think so far! If you have any questions about this story, please feel free to PM me or leave the question in a review. More to come soon!

~Cat


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary: **They thought they had defeated him. They thought they had gotten rid of him. They thought they were finally at peace. But you can't outrun the devil, no matter how fast you go...Diego has finally gotten what he's always wanted- a body. So how are Leo, Don and Mikey supposed to kill Diego now, when he is possessing their brother?

**Disclaimer: **I do not own TMNT. Only my oc.

**Author's notes: **Sorry for the wait guys, exams are finally over and the holidays are fast approaching! I hope this chapter was worth the wait.

Oh, and everyone please read the author's note at the end of this chapter. I have a favour to ask of you... :)

* * *

**Drag Me Down**

* * *

_Maybe that's what Hell is. You go mad. And all your demons come and get you just as fast as you can think them up._

**Anne Rice**

* * *

**Chapter Four**

Casey

* * *

Casey followed April into the eerily quiet lair, feeling uneasy. They had only visited two times since the incident at the farmhouse, trying to give the turtles' room, whilst at the same time trying to help them by scouring the above world for any answers to their demon problem. Casey couldn't count how many libraries he and April had visited, how many books and articles and websites they had gone through, looking for an answer, looking for a cure.

So far, they had found nothing helpful, just derivative ghost stories and supernatural fanatics; nothing to help their friend.

Casey felt a knot tighten in his gut when he thought about Raphael. He couldn't image what his friend was going through, hell; he wasn't even a hundred percent certain that Raphael was still _alive. _

Casey shook his head to get rid of the unwanted thought. Raphael was still alive, and they were going to get him back, no matter how long it took and no matter what the cost.

They found the turtles and Master Splinter sitting at the table, their breakfast untouched in front of them.

"Hey guys, I brought groceries," April said, putting the brown paper bags on the counter.

"I hope you got some more coffee," Don said with a hint of a smile. "The only thing left is decaf."

"You're in luck," April smiled, pulling a jar of ground coffee beans from one of the grocery bags.

"Thank god," Don said, picking up his mug of untouched decaf and emptying it down the sink with a look of contempt.

"So have you guys found anything?" Casey asked hopefully, praying for a positive answer.

"Nothing that will help," Leo said quietly, Casey's disappointment reflected in his own eyes.

"But," Don said, speaking up, "we have a theory on where we think Raphael is."

"Really? Where?" Casey asked, a spark of hope flaring back to life in his deep blue eyes.

"We think that Raphael is trapped in his own body," Mikey explained. "The thing we don't know is though is if he is in a dream like trance, or if he can actually see and hear everything that is going on but just can't control his body."

"So, he's alive?" April breathed.

"We're not one hundred percent certain, but we think so, yes," Master Splinter said.

"Oh, thank god," April murmured.

"Do you guys' mind if...if I go see him?" Casey asked.

"Sure," Don said, "but don't expect anything. Diego is cold and cruel, no matter how much he may pretend to be innocent. He just wants to escape."

Casey made his way towards the living area where they kept Diego. As he was walking, Casey couldn't help but think back to the night when it had started...

* * *

_Casey swerved past the oncoming truck, horns blaring loudly in the night. Headlights blinded his vision momentarily, until he pulled past the truck and back onto the dark stretch of highway._

"_What's happening back there?" Casey yelled, trying to look over his shoulder and concentrate on the road at the same time._

_It was peak hour traffic, and cars were everywhere. There was nowhere to pull over, nowhere to stop, and slowing down was suicide. _

_In the back of the van, everyone was screaming and the scent of blood was heavy in the air. Casey heard snarls and growls that sounded inhuman, followed by the grunts and shouts of the turtles._

"_Casey, pull over!" Leo yelled._

"_I can't! There's nowhere to pull over!" Casey yelled back, scanning the road desperately for road signs or a rest area nearby._

"_You have to!" Leo yelled desperately._

"_Alright, alright!" Casey shouted, spotting a turnoff a few kilometres ahead. "But what's happening?"_

"_It's Diego, he's possessing Raph!" Mikey yelled, his voice shaking with horror._

_Casey's blood ran cold and he nearly took his hands off the steering wheel. A knot of panic filled his chest and his heart beat erratically as his hands grew sweaty. Breaking every road law ever passed, Casey cut across two lanes, narrowly dodging cars and trucks as he skidded down the turnoff he had spotted. He pulled up in what appeared to be a rest area, and jumped into the back of the van before the engine even shut off. What he saw made him gasp. Raphael was being pinned to the ground by his brothers, hissing and struggling, his eyes completely black and filled with cold malice. _

"_Help me tie him up!" Don yelled, shoving a length of rope in Casey's numb hands._

_Casey moved automatically, like a robot, kneeling down beside Raphael and binding his wrists together. Raphael, or rather, Diego, growled at him and tried to knock him aside. Leo and Mikey pinned him down as Don quickly bound his ankles. When he was securely bound, Leo reached up and slid Raphael's bandanna across, so they didn't have to look at his soulless, black eyes..._

* * *

Casey shuddered at the memory. It was still fresh in his mind, and often plagued his nightmares.

Diego smiled at him when he saw him enter the room. "Hey bud, long time- no see."

"I'm not your 'bud', demon," Casey spat.

"Oh, sure you are," Diego persisted. "Why don't you until me old-pal, old-buddy, old-friend. Let's go knock some heads, like we used to."

"You think I'm that stupid, that I will just untie you?" Casey asked incredulously. "If that's what you think, then you are the fool, demon."

"My name is Diego."

"Scum like you don't deserve names."

"It's always fun chatting with you, Casey," Diego sighed lazily. "Do you want me to leave Raphael a message, while you're here?"

"What have you done with him?" Casey growled, his eyes narrowing suspiciously.

"Oh, I'm not going to tell you that, it'll ruin the game," Diego grinned. "I just thought I would be courteous and ask that's all."

"This is all just some big game to you, isn't it?" Casey asked. "It's what you live for isn't it, toying with people?"

"It is quite fun, you should try it sometime."

"You're wasting my time," Casey growled, turning to walk away.

"Casey!" Diego called after him.

Casey paused in the doorway and turned back to Diego.

"Raphael misses you, by the way," Diego grinned sardonically.

Casey didn't know if he was imagining things or if the light was playing tricks on him, but for a second, just a second, he could have sworn Diego's eyes flickered gold and Raphael was staring back at him, pleading for help. But when he blinked the illusion was gone, and it was Diego's cold, black eyes that were watching him.

* * *

**Author's Notes 2: **Okay guys, I need you to all do me a favour. I need you to vote on an ending for me- but there is a catch. You will not know which ending is which. One will be a nice, happy ending, the other...not so much. You will not know which is which, you will only be given a choice of choosing **Ending 1** or **Ending 2**, not knowing which ending is which. I plan on posting both endings, but the ending that has the most votes will be the 'proper ending.' I will post the alternate ending by itself after the completion of _Drag Me Down_. So, leave a review or PM me your choice; **Ending 1** or **Ending 2.**

Let's see what situation you choose for our dear turtles...the future and ending of this story, is now in your hands...

~Cat


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary: **They thought they had defeated him. They thought they had gotten rid of him. They thought they were finally at peace. But you can't outrun the devil, no matter how fast you go...Diego has finally gotten what he's always wanted- a body. So how are Leo, Don and Mikey supposed to kill Diego now, when he is possessing their brother?

**Disclaimer: **I do not own TMNT. Only my oc.

**Author's notes: **Thank you for everyone who has voted. Votes are still open, however let me say that there is a big favour for Ending 2, which will most likely win the vote and become the official ending for this series. Now you just have to wait and find out if it is the good ending, or the bad ending... ;)

* * *

**Drag Me Down**

* * *

"_Hell is oneself, Hell is alone, the other figures in it merely projections.__"_

**T.S. Eliot**

* * *

**Chapter Five**

Raphael

* * *

_Raphael felt like he was going crazy. Time had become meaningless; seconds lasted for hours, hours lasted for days. He could no longer tell what day it was or what time it was. He was trapped and helpless, and no matter how loud he screamed, no one could hear him. No one that is, except for Diego._

"_You know, you should just accept the situation," Diego said casually._

"_I'm not accepting anything," Raphael growled. "This is my body and my family, if you think I'm just going to step aside and accept that you want to kill my family, you are seriously mistaken."_

"_Such poetic words," Diego mocked, "words from the heart."_

"_What would you know about having a heart, you soulless bastard," Raphael snapped._

"_Why, Raphael, I am offended," Diego said, feigning hurt. "You wound me, sir."_

"_Good," Raphael muttered, "Because you're bloody annoying."_

"_I thought my company was quite good. I certainly find myself amusing."_

"_What you call amusing, I call irritating."_

"_Oh, are you just in a bad mood because your friend didn't recognise you?"_

"_Shut up!" Raphael yelled in sudden anger. "You don't talk about my friend, do you hear me?"_

"_Hmmm what was his name again? Casey, right?"_

"_I said shut up!"_

"_You know, it's kind of sad, for a moment it almost looked like he recognised you."_

"_Fuck you!" Raphael screamed, his anger and frustration and grief boiling over with the realisation of the hopelessness of his situation._

"_No, I think you mean, fuck you, Raphael," Diego mocked. "Besides, I'm the one riding you right? Well, your body anyway."_

"_You're a sick bastard, you know that?" Raphael spat in disgust._

"_What you call sick, I call...poetic," Diego grinned maliciously. "Maybe I can make you understand," Diego said after a moment. _

"_Understand what?"_

"_The reason why I'm like this, why I'm doing this, my motivation, ect, ect, ect," Diego explained._

"_I'm over story time," Raphael grunted._

"_Who said anything about stories? I plan on showing you..."_

* * *

The first thing Raphael felt was the heat. It was an immense rolling inferno that threatened to pull him under and consume him. He had never felt a heat more intense. It was like he had fallen into the sun, which had fallen inside a volcano. Flames lapped at everything, both living and dead; wild, uncontrolled flames that seemed to be alive. The flames were as high as buildings, some even as tall as skyscrapers. They flickered eerily bright; blinding scarlet, vivid gold, intense orange and even flames that were as black as the darkest night. But what Raphael found strange was the lack of smoke. Fires burned everywhere, flames leaping and twisting and dancing, but there was no trace of smoke, only the suffocating and intolerable heat.

"Where am I?" Raphael asked aloud, looking around wildly.

"This is Hell," Diego's voice said beside him. "Well, the entrance to it anyway."

Raphael stared in horror as the flames withered and turned into shadows and shapes. A horrible inhuman wail split the air, as the shadowy shapes started to plunge towards him, screaming and fighting with each other.

"Those are demons," Diego explained as Raphael watched horror-struck, "each one fighting to escape the gates before they close for another year."

"What's happening?" Raphael whispered, "What is this?"

"It's a memory," Diego explained, "my memory to be exact, the night I escaped this cursed place."

"Why have you brought me here?" Raphael demanded, trying to conceal his terror.

"I wanted to show you why I escaped; I wanted to make you understand why I'm doing what I'm doing."

"Get me out of this place," Raphael said, trying to keep his voice from shaking; he would not show fear in front of Diego.

"No, I want you to watch," Diego said.

And Raphael couldn't help but watch. He watched the dark, grotesque shadows claw at and fight each other in the race to escape. He watched the flames lap hungrily at everything around him. He heard the wails of the damned, the screech of demons and the _hissing _of the flames.

"Okay, I see, now take me back."

"Do you understand now?" Diego asked. "Do you understand why I am doing this, why I had to escape?"

"I get it, you live in a terrible place," Raphael growled. "But that's because you are a bad person."

"Just look, Raphael," Diego persisted, his voice nothing but a sharp whisper. "This is only the entry and exit of Hell, Raphael; it is much worse than this the further you go."

"Interesting,"

"Have you ever heard of Dante Alighieri?" Diego asked.

"You mean like Dante's Inferno?"

"Yes, that's the man. I think you will find that his descriptions of Hell are most accurate. How could they not, when he was right here to right about them?"

"I'm not afraid of some stupid story," Raphael growled.

"Oh, it is far more than a story, Raphael; it is the nine circles of Hell, each of them worse than the one before. We are at the entrance and occasional exit to Hell. Past the fire is Circle One of Hell; not such a bad place, a desolate wasteland filled with shadows. Beyond that resides Circle Two where the sinners of Lust stay. And on and on we go until we reach Circle Nine, a terrible place and the deepest level of Hell where the worst kind of people and abominations are doomed for eternity. It is said that Satan himself resides there, in a land of shadow and flame and frozen lakes."

"And what Circle do you come from?" Raphael demanded. "How far down on the scum ladder are you?"

"Well," Diego hissed, "if I know about _all _of the Nine Circles, I think it should be pretty obvious..."

* * *

_As suddenly as the flames had appeared, they vanished with the blink of an eye. Raphael was back in his world, a prisoner trapped within his own body._

"_So, I hope that fond memory enlightened you some," Diego smiled._

_Raphael regarded Diego warily, not saying anything._

"_Because you see, Raphael, if I go back to Hell, you are coming with me. The place you just saw will be your new home, and then there will be no escape...for either of us..."_

* * *

**Author's Notes 2:**Thank you for reading and your continued support is greatly appreciated. If you have any questions please feel free to review or PM me. Next chapter should be a little more eventful...

~Cat


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary: **They thought they had defeated him. They thought they had gotten rid of him. They thought they were finally at peace. But you can't outrun the devil, no matter how fast you go...Diego has finally gotten what he's always wanted- a body. So how are Leo, Don and Mikey supposed to kill Diego now, when he is possessing their brother?

**Disclaimer: **I do not own TMNT. Only my oc.

**Author's notes: **Here we go guys, a fresh update. I hope you all like what I have in stall for you...

* * *

**Drag Me Down**

* * *

_'Before I go, and return no more, to a land that is dark and covered with the mist of death: a land of misery and darkness, where the shadow of death, and no order, but everlasting horror dwelleth.'_

**Job ****10:21-22**

* * *

**Chapter Six**

Donatello

* * *

Donatello frowned and looked down at Diego with a mixture of curiosity and distaste.

"Like what you see?" Diego asked with a sly grin.

Don ignored him and continued to inspect him, glancing over every detail of his brother's body; the dark emerald flesh, the battle scars that criss-crossed his body, the chipped and scared shell. Then he moved up to his brother's face, taking in Diego's grin and dark black eyes. It was the eyes that held Donatello's focus the most. Diego's gaze unnerved him, but he forced himself to probe deeper, to see further into the black pools.

Finally he pulled away and turned back to face his brothers, who were gathered in the room.

"Casey was right," Don said, glancing back at Diego. "Raphael is trapped inside his own body."

"How can you be sure?" April asked.

"I saw him, well a flicker of him anyway," Don replied. "He's trying to communicate with us."

"So, you figured it out," Diego smiled. "I applaud you."

"Shut up!" Mikey yelled, storming up to where Diego was tied to the table. "You let him go!"

"Tempting, but…no."

Mikey growled and stepped forward, but a hand on his shoulder stopped him.

"Don't worry, Mikey, we'll get Raph back," Leo murmured, his hazel eyes never leaving Diego.

"Awe, I love these kinds of moments," Diego sniffed.

"Come on," Don said, ushering his brothers from the room. "I need to do a few more tests before anything is conclusive."

"What kind of tests?" Diego asked with fake curiosity.

"Nothing that concerns you," Don said, closing the door after his brothers. Turning back around to face Diego, Don grabbed his supply bag and began to pull out some equipment.

Diego eyed the equipment. "I didn't know I was sick."

"I'm not testing your blood for illness," Don said, sticking the needle into Diego's arm to draw blood. "I'm looking for other things."

"Well, you let me know how that turns out."

"Oh, don't you worry," Don assured him, "I will."

* * *

Don frowned as he viewed the results from his tests. "Oh...this isn't good," he murmured.

"What? What is it, Donnie?" Leo asked, worry heavy in his voice.

Don rubbed his tired eyes and turned around to face his brothers. "In the test of Raphael's blood, there is more foreign DNA present than Raphael's."

"What does that mean?" Mikey frowned in confusion.

"It means," Don paused to take a breath. "It means that, the longer Diego is in control of Raphael's body, the weaker Raphael will become until eventually Diego's presence will outnumber Raphael."

"What does that mean for Raphael?" Leo asked, already dreading the answer.

"He will eventually fade away and...Die."

"Then we have to get Diego out of him, now," Leo said, hot determination shinning like wild fire in his eyes.

"I know we do," Don assured his brother. "And I think I've come up with a plan."

"What is it?" Mikey asked eagerly.

"Well, we know that salt can't kill Diego, but it acts as a purifier. If I mix some salt into some water and poor it over Diego, hopefully that should make him weak."

"Which will give Raphael a chance to fight back," Mikey finished with a smile.

"Except how are we going to tell Raphael the plan without Diego knowing?" Leo asked with a frown.

"We can't," Don sighed, "which is the hitch. We can't communicate to Raphael alone, he is too weak to connect via the astral plane and there is no other way of communicating to him without Diego knowing or hearing. So we are going to have to be quick. As soon as I tell Raphael the plan, Diego will pull out all the stops, and put up any and every guard he may have. I just hope a high concentration of salt will be enough."

"It's not fool-proof, but it's the only plan we have," Leo nodded. "It's our best chance."

"Agreed. So when are we doing this?" Mikey asked.

"Tonight," Don said. "The sooner we have our brother back, the better."

* * *

Donatello took a deep breath. There was no backing out now. Mikey and Leo met his gaze and they both nodded. They knew they only had one chance to do this. If it failed, well...then Don really had no idea how to save his brother.

"Okay, let's do this," he said, carrying two buckets that were filled with salty water.

Leo nodded and led the way into the room.

"Hey, back so soon," Diego called out in greeting, that ever present condescending smile on his lips.

Don ignored him and set the buckets down beside the table. "Raphael, I need you to listen to me," he said, looking into Diego's cold eyes. "We know you are trapped in there and we're going to get you out. I'm going to pour this salted water over Diego. It should weaken him. This will be your only chance to fight his control."

Diego's dark eyes flickered gold, for all but a second, but that was all the time Don needed.

"Wait, what?" Diego asked, a frown pulling at his lips.

"Now!" Don shouted.

Mikey and Leo each picked up one of the buckets and slowly began to pour the water over Diego.

Diego screamed as the salted water touched his skin. Steam rose from his body, like the water was acid burning through his flesh.

"Keep going!" Don yelled. "Fight him, Raph, fight him!"

Diego continued to scream and thrash in his bindings, his skin burning wherever the water touched him.

Don stood over him, watching his eyes keenly for that flicker of gold to come back. He didn't have to wait long. Diego screamed as the water slid down his skin, and his eyes flashed gold. Don's breath caught in his throat. There was something wrong. Raphael's eyes stared back at him, but they were filled with pain.

"Stop!" Don yelled at Mikey and Leo. "Something's wrong!"

Leo and Mikey stoped, buckets raised in midair. "What is it, Donnie?" Leo asked his voice tinged with worry.

Diego's screams subsided to a harsh laughter. His hard obsidian eyes opened and looked up at Don with sadistic glee and triumph.

"I'm afraid your little games won't work on me," Diego said, his voice rough from screaming.

"But...I don't understand..."

"I admit, it hurt like a bitch, but whatever you do to hurt me, you are also hurting your brother as well. He's too far gone, and I'm too powerful now. It was a good idea Donnie-boy, but too late."

"No," Don said, shaking his head with stubborn disbelief.

"Deny it all you like," Diego smiled cruelly. "But Raphael is too weak to fight me, no matter how weak you make me. In a few more days he will be gone. For good."

* * *

**Author's Notes 2: **Well, that isn't good...

Thank you to everyone who voted on the mysterious ending. The results are in and it seems like _Ending 2 _is the favourite, though you don't know if that is the good or bad ending ;) So _Ending 2 _will be the official ending for this series, which you will find out soon enough. _Ending 1 _will be posted separately after this series is complete.

Feel free to leave a review; I'd love to know your thoughts!

~Cat


	7. Chapter 7

**Summary: **They thought they had defeated him. They thought they had gotten rid of him. They thought they were finally at peace. But you can't outrun the devil, no matter how fast you go...Diego has finally gotten what he's always wanted- a body. So how are Leo, Don and Mikey supposed to kill Diego now, when he is possessing their brother?

**Disclaimer: **I do not own TMNT. Only my oc.

**Author's notes: **I'd like to thank everyone for their support on this story and series. It really means a lot, so thank you guys :) *gives hugs*

* * *

**Drag Me Down**

* * *

'_My demons, inner strengths and physical battles have guided me through life.__'_  
**GG Allin**

* * *

**Chapter Seven**

Donatello

* * *

_Diego's screams echoed through the sewers. Or were they Raphael's screams? Don couldn't be sure. The exhausting ride home had finally come to an end, but Diego was still struggling in their grasp. No one said anything as they fought to keep a hold of Diego; everyone was too scared to speak._

_Ideas were racing through Don's head, as he tried to think up a solution, but every idea fell flat. For once in his life, Don didn't know what to do, and that scared him more than anything._

"_Let me go!" Diego screamed, thrashing wildly in a desperate struggle to get free. "I'll kill you; I'll kill all of you!"_

_Leo clenched his jaw, trying to mask the worry that flitted in his eyes. Tightening his hold around Diego, he kept silent and kept his gaze focused on the dark route ahead._

_April lead the way with Master Splinter, and Don could tell by the way they walked stiffly, that they were both fighting the urge to remain calm._

_Time seemed to stop having meaning to Don as they raced through the sewers. He didn't really remember the journey, let alone how long it took. They could have been down there for hours, or just minutes, Don couldn't be certain. _

_They finally reached the entrance to lair. Warm light greeted them when they entered, but Don ignored it._

"_Quick, take him to the Dojo," Don instructed as he raced towards his lab to find some more rope. Finding what he was looking for, Don returned to the Dojo._

_Leo has forced Diego down into a sitting position against the wall, watching him like a hawk would watch its prey. Don crouched down beside Diego, wary of an attack. Thankfully none came._

"_Hold him still," he commanded. _

_Leo and Mikey nodded and held Diego in place as Don re-adjusted the ropes around his bound hands and ankles, making sure they were tight but not tight enough to cut off his circulation. He then adjusted Raphael's mask so that it was still covering Diego's soulless black eyes. He then tied Diego's hands around the length of piping that transacted the wall. Stepping back, he pulled on the ropes, testing the durability._

_Getting to his feet, he nodded silently to Leo and Mikey._

_They exchanged glances, not sure what to do now that they had Diego secured._

"_Come, my sons," Master Splinter rasped. "I believe it would be best if we talked elsewhere."_

_Don nodded in agreement and followed his brothers out of the room. He looked over his shoulder and felt a shiver of unease run down his spine when he saw Diego grinning back at him._

* * *

_Don awake to the sound of something breaking. Jerking awake, Don held his breath and scanned the darkness of the room for the culprit. Calming his breathing, Don got out of bed, picking up his Bo-Staff. With quiet footsteps, Don looked out of his room, scanning the living area for any signs of movement. A soft curse broke the silence, and Don whirled to the source. It was coming from the dojo. Gripping his Bo-Staff tighter, Don crept towards the room._

_He saw movement in room. Blending in with the shadows, he crept forward and waited for his eyes to adjust to the gloom. He looked around the dojo, and with a start, realised that Diego was no longer there. Empty ropes lay on the floor where he had been tied up._

"_Hello, Donnie," a familiar and bone-shilling voice said from behind him._

_Don whirled around, his Bo-Staff striking out, but Diego caught the weapon, a smile curling his lips._

"_Let's play," he smiled._

_But before he could take a step forward, Leo and Mikey appeared behind him. Leo lashed out and knocked Diego to the ground. Mikey move in and pinned his arms down while Leo sat on his legs._

"_How did you escape?" Leo demanded._

"_Please," Diego said with a roll of his eyes, "you tied me to a pipe._ _Not exactly rocket science."_

_Don picked up the frayed rope and narrowed his eyes. "Then we'll just have to think of something else..."_

* * *

Don sighed quietly and pinched the bridge of his beak. He had a pounding headache, and not even six cups of his strongest coffee could stop his eyes from drooping. He waited in the living room for his brothers and Master Splinter. After the failure of their only hope of saving Raphael, everyone's moods were at an all time low. But Don had called a family meeting out of sheer desperation.

Master Splinter was the first to arrive, and greeted Don warmly as he took his seat, but Don could see the sadness in Master Splinter's eyes, and realised that he was saving face, in hopes that Don would do the same.

Don returned the greeting and waited as Leo and Mikey entered the room. Mikey flopped onto the couch, his face completely devoid of his usual mirth and happiness. Leo remained standing, leaning against the far wall, his face shrouded in shadows.

"The reason I called you all here is because this is our last option," Don began, trying to keep his voice confident. "We have tried everything to save Raphael, but I fear we are running out of time. The only option left to us is to perform an exorcism, but to do that, I need my old book."

"What if it doesn't work anyway?" Mikey muttered dejectedly from his spot on the couch.

"I'm not certain that it will work, but we need to try," Don said. "He's our brother, Mikey, and we'll do anything to help him."

"Don's right," Leo spoke up. "We need to try all our options."

"And if it doesn't work?" Mikey persisted.

"Then we think of something else," Leo said after a moment, but Don could hear the underlying hopelessness in Leo's voice.

"What does this book look like, Donatello?" Master Splinter asked.

"It's very old and very thick," Don explained. The cover is faded brown leather and the pages are fragile and yellow with age. It's hard to miss it."

"Then we split up," Leo said. "We each search all of our rooms, including Raph's."

"And I'll search my lab again," Don added. "We need to search _everywhere _in every room. I know it is down here somewhere."

"Alright, let's start searching," Leo said.

"Search the lair top to bottom," Don said grimly, because he knew, deep down in his gut, that if they didn't find the book, there would be no other way to help his brother, and he would be lost to them forever.

* * *

**Author's Notes 2: **Not long to go now! Sadly this story isn't as long as the others and will probably be concluded in two more chapters. But, remember to stay tuned for the alternate ending!

Feel free to leave a review; I'd love to know your thoughts!

~Cat


	8. Chapter 8

**Summary: **They thought they had defeated him. They thought they had gotten rid of him. They thought they were finally at peace. But you can't outrun the devil, no matter how fast you go...Diego has finally gotten what he's always wanted- a body. So how are Leo, Don and Mikey supposed to kill Diego now, when he is possessing their brother?

**Disclaimer: **I do not own TMNT. Only my oc.

**Author's notes: **Here it is the second last chapter! I can't believe this series is nearly complete! I hope you enjoy the final ride I have install for you all.

* * *

**Drag Me Down**

* * *

_Hell is when there is no reason to live and no courage to die. _  
**William Markiewicz **

* * *

**Chapter Eight**

Raphael

* * *

_Raphael felt terrible. He felt like all of his strength had been sapped from his body, leaving him drained and more tired than he had ever been in his life. It was a struggle just to keep his eyes open and breathing was starting to become a challenge. It was like his body was about to shutdown at any moment. Raphael didn't even have enough energy to care._

"_You're looking a little tired there, Raphie-boy," Diego commented happily._

_Raphael ignored him, too tired to speak._

"_Deep down, you know what's happening, don't you, Raph?" Diego continued, his voice laced with malice. "You know that all of your energy has flowed into me. Now I'm the strong one and you're the weak one. In a couple more hours you'll fade away completely. And I'll be strong enough to escape."_

_Raphael wanted to scream at him, to curse him and spit on him. He wanted to fight him and prove him wrong, but Diego was right; Raphael just simply did not have the energy._

"_I'm going to miss you, Raph," Diego said. "I have to admit, I've kind of grown fond of you, you know considering we've spent so much time together. I suppose I should thank you for the ride and the body. I promise, when you're gone I'll take real good care of it."_

_There were a hundred things Raphael wanted to say to Diego at that moment, but he was unable to say even one of them. Instead he remained mute, staring at the ceiling with blank eyes, waiting for death to come and claim him._

* * *

Diego tested the ropes that held him down and smiled when they moved. Raphael's essence was almost gone, and Diego could feel the power and strength returning to him. The time had finally come. He was strong enough now to escape.

Flexing his muscles, Diego felt the rope grow taut. Grinning, he snapped the rope with ease and slowly sat up. It had been weeks since Diego had been last able to move freely, and his joints were stiff with disuse. Rolling his shoulders and his neck, Diego stretched his limbs one at a time, relishing at the feeling and the freedom of movement.

It was late, and all the turtles had retreated to their rooms, and were hopefully, fast asleep.

Diego got quietly to his feet and looked around the room. Raphael's weapons were still stashed in the far corner of the room. Diego grinned and picked up the weapons, his reflection shining in the polished steel.

_It's ironic, don't you think, that I'm going to kill your brothers with your own weapons, _Diego mused quietly.

_I'm going to kill you, _Raphael growled weakly, fighting to put up a battle. _If you hurt my brothers I swear to god..._

_You'll what, kill me? _Diego asked with a grin. _I'd like to see you try._

Gripping the weapons tightly, Diego crept out of the room, as silent as a shadow. He peered around the gloom, his eyes focusing on a closed door at the top of the stairs. Mikey's room.

_No! Diego, stop!_

Diego chuckled and ignored Raphael's pathetic pleas and started up the stairs. Diego heard soft snores coming from the room and couldn't contain the shiver of cold anticipation that ran down his spine. This was going to be glorious.

Pushing open the door, Diego stepped into the room, his shadow thrown on the ground in front of him. Mikey muttered something in his sleep and opened his eyes.

"Raph? What are you doing?" Mikey yawned, still disoriented from sleep.

_Mikey, run!_

Diego launched himself at Mikey, pulling him from the bed and hitting the floor with a loud _crash. _

Mikey looked up at Diego with dazed confusion.

"Hello, Mikey," Diego grinned down at him. "Did you miss me?"

Mikey rolled quickly to the side, barely avoiding the sharp prong of a sai as it struck the ground where his head had been only seconds ago. Diego leapt at him again and straddled his chest, making sure he wouldn't be able to escape. Mikey struggled and desperately felt the ground around him for anything he could use as a weapon. His hand hit his bookshelf and Mikey tried to topple it over. Diego saw what he was trying to do and shoved the bookshelf across the room, where it crashed against the far wall. Books and paper went flying as the contents spilt onto the floor.

Mikey brought his fist up in a quick jab and caught Diego by surprise under the jaw. Growling in anger, Diego pinned Mikey's hands together above his head with one hand, the other holding the sharp tip of his sai over Mikey's eye. Mikey struggled vainly and kicked out with his feet, trying to unbalance Diego, but with his renewed strength, Diego didn't budge.

"I'm going to enjoy this," he said with a smile that froze Mikey with fear.

_No you're not! _Raphael screamed and leapt internally at Diego with everything he had.

Suddenly Diego's cold, black eyes flickered and turned molten gold, and it was Raphael looking down at Mikey and not Diego.

"Go!" Raphael shouted, his body shaking wildly but frozen in place. "I can't hold him for long!"

Mikey watched in astonishment as Raphael threw his Sais across the room.

"Fool!" Raphael's eyes flickered and turned black as Diego regained control. "You think you can stop me?"

"No, but we can," a low voice said from behind them.

Diego whirled around as Leo stepped forward and smashed the hilt of his sword into his temple. Diego grunted and hit the ground, blinking in confusion. Mikey leapt to his feet and scrambled away from Diego as Don moved past him and kicked Raphael's Sais out of Diego's reach.

Diego growled, regaining his senses he leapt to his feet in a fighting stance.

Leo stepped forward, katanna in hand. "It's over Diego, you lose."

"It's not over until I say it is!" Diego roared and lunged.

Leo gripped his katanna and once more brought the butt of the sword down on Diego's head. Diego grunted and stumbled, before toppling over. The ground rushed up to meet him and everything went black.

* * *

**Author's Notes 2: **What will happen to Diego now? What has happened to Raph? How will this end-good or bad? You will find out in the final chapter.

I'd love to hear what you all think :)

~Cat


	9. Chapter 9

**Summary: **They thought they had defeated him. They thought they had gotten rid of him. They thought they were finally at peace. But you can't outrun the devil, no matter how fast you go...Diego has finally gotten what he's always wanted- a body. So how are Leo, Don and Mikey supposed to kill Diego now, when he is possessing their brother?

**Disclaimer: **I do not own TMNT. Only my oc.

**Author's notes: **The last chapter is finally here! Agh, what a ride this has been! From what I thought would only be a single story has blossomed into a trilogy! And now the ending to the trilogy is finally here! I'd like to firstly thank everyone for the continued support, follows, favs and reviews. All your kind words and encouragement has kept me going, even when I was without plot bunnies. I do hope that you all enjoy this final chapter and the ending I have install for you, whichever one it may be.

So, for the final time, please read, review and enjoy…

* * *

**Drag Me Down**

* * *

_"Long is the way and hard, that out of Hell leads up to light."_

~Jon Milton

* * *

**Chapter Nine**

Leonardo

* * *

Leo made sure that the straps were bound tightly this time, so that there was no chance of Diego escaping again. He was still unconscious from the blow to head, and a dark bruise was starting to form around that area. Once he had made sure Diego was tied down sufficiently, he stepped back to allow Don to check him over. Like it or not, Diego was still inside of Raphael's body, and if any damage had been done to Diego, it most likely would also damage Raphael.

He walked over to Mikey, who was watching anxiously from the doorway. Leo could see from his eyes that Mikey was still shaken up about what had just transpired, and Leo didn't blame him.

"Hey," he said gently, resting a reassuring hand on Mikey's shoulder. "How are you holding up?"

"I'm okay," Mikey responded, trying to pull a brave face and hide behind a strained smile. It didn't work and Mikey deflated, letting out a sigh. "Okay, I'm not really ok. I...I thought, for a moment, that it was actually Raph there, and this whole thing with Diego was just some kind of horrible nightmare."

"I'm sorry, Mikey," Leo said apologetically. "I came as quickly as I could."

"It's not your fault, Leo," Mikey reassured his brother. "Diego probably would have killed me, but...I saw Raph. His eyes were gold, not black. He must have regained control of his body, even though it was only for a second."

Leo frowned. "Are you sure, Mikey? You might have just been wishing or hope."

"No," Mikey insisted, "it _was _Raph. He's still in there and he took back control. He fought back and told me to run. If he hadn't been able to regain control of his body, even for that split second, Diego would have killed me."

Don walked over to join them by the door.

"How is he?" Leo asked.

"His head will be sore for a while, and I think he has a concussion, but he'll wake up soon. We need to end this now, while he's still unconscious. We need that book. I have to perform an exorcism now, or he'll be too strong."

"Then we look everywhere, and quickly," Leo said, cold determination shining in his eyes.

"Let's move," Don agreed, "because Diego won't stay unconscious forever.

* * *

Mikey looked around his cluttered bedroom with a frown. Books and papers scattered the floor where he had knocked over his bookshelf, making it impossible to find anything. With a determined look crossing his face, Mikey kneeled down on the floor and began stacking papers and books into piles. He tried not to get distracted by every comic book he picked up. The bright, colourful pages leapt out at him and practically screamed at him to read them, but he had more pressing matters to deal with. Once he had saved his brother from a crazed demon, he would sit down and read his comic books, but not now. He started to shift through the paper that scattered the floor when his hand bumped something hard under a pile of crumpled and dog-eared paper. Frowning, Mikey pushed the paper aside and pulled out an old looking book. He turned it over in his hands, frowning in confusion. This didn't look like the type of book he would have, let alone read. Opening the leather-bound cover, Mikey looked down at the confusing scrawl across the aged paper.

_Donnie's book..._

Mikey gasped and looked back down at the book like it was the most precious thing he had ever seen. It was the book!

"Guys, I found it!" Mikey shouted excitedly.

Clutching the book to his chest, he leapt to his feet and ran out of his room, comic books forgotten.

* * *

"What were you doing with my book in your room?" Don asked suspiciously when Mikey handed him the old tome.

"I don't know," Mikey shrugged. "I probably used it as a page weight or something for my comic books. I must have put it back on my bookshelf and forgotten about. So in hindsight it was actually pretty lucky Diego attacked me, because if he didn't I never would have pulled my bookshelf over, and then I never would have found the book."

"Is the exorcism still in there, Donnie?" Leo asked, peering over Don's shoulder at the book.

"Yes, it's still here," Don said with a relieved smile, finding the exorcism.

"Ugh, Donnie, it's in some kind of alien language," Mikey frowned.

"Mikey, that's Latin," Don sighed.

"Whoa, you can read Latin?"

"Yes, Mikey."

"Cool,"

"Anyway," Leo cut in, "do you need anything else to perform the exorcism?"

Don studied the page with a concentrated look upon his face. "Salt would be a good idea," he said. "A ring of salt around the table and a dab of salt on his forehead should do the trick. It should bind him to the table while I perform the exorcism."

"Then let's do it," Leo said. "The sooner we get our brother back, the better."

* * *

A single, solitary candle lit the room in eerie light. Flickering shadows danced along the walls and floors and played jokes on the eyes. Diego did not look impressed as a line of salt was poured around the table he was strapped to. He was even more so unimpressed when Don smudged salt along his forehead.

"It's never going to work," Diego growled at the turtles as they got into position. "Exorcisms may work with lower class demons, but not with me."

"We'll take our chances," Donnie said, fixing Diego with a hard stare. "No tricks this time."

"You better say your goodbyes, because there will be no greetings where you're going," Leo said coldly.

Diego scoffed and was about to retort, but Don cut him off. "Alright, let's begin." Moving in front of the candle and opening the book to the correct page, Donnie cleared his throat and began to read.

"_De cornu tenet, noctis ignis d, cistern tua fata,"_

"It's not going to work," Diego said again, though there was a frown darkening his face as he squirmed in his bonds. Don ignored him and kept reading.

"_Redire praecipio tibi, exi ab eo quod anima,"_

Leo and Mikey watched on in a mixture of hope and fascination as Diego's discomfort began more pronounced.

"AH!" Diego suddenly cried, throwing his head back in a pained scream as his body convulsed and withered on the table.

"It's working!" Mikey shouted.

"_Post corpus ad, domum iura…"_

"I will kill you all, I swear!" Diego screamed, his teeth clenched in pain as he continued to convulse. "You will all suffer! AH!" Another cry of pain was ripped from his throat. Shadows started to circle the table, a moving black wave as dark smoke started to drift from Diego's skin.

"_Sanguinis et dolore, et ibi in perpetuum, fatigari in Dei omnipotentis nomine!" _Don shouted, fighting to be heard of Diego's scream and the whirling black mass of shadows that oozed from his pours.

With a final, anguish-filled scream, Diego roared in pain and threw his head back as the wave of dancing black shadows elongated into fingers and grabbed him. There was a sound of one thousand people screaming in a crescendo, and the loud flicker of flames and the bright flash of shadows, before everything went silent. The shadows disappeared and the screaming stopped. Raphael lay motionless on the table.

"Raph!" Leo and Mikey shouted, running to their brother's side.

"Did it work?" Mikey asked, daring to hope.

Don put aside the book and examined Raphael. "I don't know," he admitted.

"Raphael, Raphael wake up," Leo whispered, gently shaking Raphael's shoulder.

They waited with baited breath as Raphael groaned and slowly opened his eyes. They all leaned forward; anxiously waiting to see if the eyes that stared back at them would be golden or emotionless black...

* * *

Leo let out the breath he hadn't realised he'd been holding when a pair of bright golden eyes blinked up at him.

"Leo?" Raphael rasped, his eyes clouded with confusion.

"Raphael, you're alive!" Mikey shouted, tears of relief shinning in his eyes.

"Quick, help me untie him!" Donnie instructed, untying the bonds around his wrists.

"What…what happened?" Raphael asked groggily as his brothers carefully helped him to sit up.

"You were possessed by Diego," Leo said.

"Bastard," Raphael muttered weakly. "Thinking he can take my body from me. Wait…where is he?"

"Donnie sent him straight to Hell, where he belongs," Leo said with a wry smile.

"So that's it, he's gone for good?" Raphael asked.

Don smiled and rested his hand on Raphael's shoulder. "Yep, Diego's gone for good. The nightmare's finally over."

* * *

Two weeks had passed since Diego was banished and things were finally returning to normal. Raphael was back on his feet, moving around freely and more than happy to finally have his body back again. Over the past week, none of the turtles had had a single nightmare, and there were no visions or whispered voices of Diego. He truly was gone for good.

However, as Raphael sat down to breakfast, he couldn't help but hear a small voice in the back of mind that one day, Diego could come back. But Raphael didn't care. Because right now, in this moment, Diego was gone and he and his brothers were finally free from the nightmares.

And for now, that was enough.

_~Fin~_

* * *

**Author's Notes 2: **And that's it guys, the end to the Hear Me Scream Trilogy. And what a ride it has been. I can't thank you enough for your continued support, favs and amazing reviews. As you can see, the 'happy ending' won! But keep on the lookout for **Drag Me Down Alternate Ending **which will be the not so great ending. I hope to have it posted soon. The translated version of the exorcism is below.

"_From the darkest corner of the night,_

_From the firey pit,_

_I command you to return to your plight_

_Leave this body and this soul behind_

_return to your home domain_

_of blood and pain_

_and forever there toil,_

_in God's almighty name"_

I do hope you all enjoyed this story and its conclusion. Leave a review and let me know your thoughts! If you have any questions please feel free to ask. I hope to see you all again in many other adventures I am to write :)

But for now, until the next time,

~Cat


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